


In the Dark of the Night

by sassmaster_tiresias



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dave Katz is a good boyfriend, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, M/M, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, just a little bit, klaus is like... newly sober, they're like 18/19 in this because it's my college AU and I say so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:53:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18580522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassmaster_tiresias/pseuds/sassmaster_tiresias
Summary: The flashlight is still on, peeking out between the folds in Dave’s comforter, and Dave remembers how frantic Klaus had been to turn it on.He remembers how he couldn’t even really see Klaus when he’d first woken up, his beautiful face obscured by the darkness.  Then, he remembers the Christmas lights in Klaus’ room—strung in a haphazard zig-zag up the wall beside his bed, the soft glow that was present every time Dave had been in that room.“The lights,” he says.





	In the Dark of the Night

Klaus should be happy right now.  He should be out of his mind, over the freaking _moon_ happy right now because he is in Dave Katz’s bed.  They didn’t… do anything—not really.  Just kissed a bit (a lot) and watched a movie, and Klaus practically _purred_ when Dave ran his fingers through his hair.  But then that purr had turned into a light doze so when Dave asked if he wanted to spend the night—which, God, yes, _please_ —Klaus hadn’t really thought about the gravity of the situation.

So, yes, Klaus is happy because he’s in Dave’s bed and Dave’s arm is around his waist and Dave’s face is tucked into the side of Klaus’ neck so Klaus can feel his breath on his skin.  But that happiness is distant because, mostly, Klaus is terrified.

Dave is a sophomore, so he gets to live in one of the nice dorms with the suites and he has his own room which is a delight, really.  But Dave has blackout curtains up over the standard issue, shitty blinds, and he somehow managed to get up and turn all of the lights out without Klaus noticing so now the room is pitch black except for the tiny red light on Dave’s laptop charger.

It has to have been hours by now.  Hours of laying perfectly still with Dave asleep on his shoulder, trying to breathe evenly enough that Dave doesn’t notice, and staring at that little red light.  But it also might have been just fifteen minutes.  Klaus doesn’t know.  Dave doesn’t have a clock and Klaus remembers hearing his phone hit the floor at some point during the evening’s proceedings.

Air shudders out of Klaus’ lungs with every exhale, and then he has to force himself to breathe in again.  They’re crammed together in Dave’s Twin XL and Klaus is against the wall, which was nice when his back was pressed against it while Dave kissed him, but now he’s got nowhere to go.  Dave is asleep on top of his right arm and his left hand keeps clenching and unclenching in the sheets beneath him.

Klaus can feel the darkness closing in on him, pressing and scratching at his skin so bad that he just wants to bury himself in Dave so he can’t feel it anymore.  There is nothing but blackness, he can barely even make out the curves of Dave’s face beside him, and there could be  _anything_ out there.  Klaus just stares at the red light, pressing his chin into his own chest so he can see it, because as long as that light stays there, everything is alright and nothing can get him.

But then, the light blinks out—just for a split second, only long enough for it to turn green, but that split second is all it takes for the world to come crashing in around Klaus.

Before can stop himself, Klaus’ feet are kicking at the rumpled sheets and his free hand is clawing at the wall.  The hand trapped beneath Dave clutches at the other boy’s t-shirt and Klaus isn’t quite sure if he’s trying to pull him closer or get him _off of him_.  All Klaus knows is that he can’t _breathe_.

Apparently, the thrashing and clutching and frantic breaths are enough to wake Dave because suddenly he’s turning his face further into Klaus’ shoulder and mumbling, “Klaus?”  Then, after a second, Dave seems to realize what’s happening because he pushes himself up on one elbow, the other hand gentle on Klaus’ cheek as he says, “Klaus, what’s wrong?”

That’s all the space that Klaus needs.  He scrambles out from under Dave’s touch (and at some point he’ll curse himself for that, but not right now) and down onto the floor.  He drops to his knees and feels around for his phone, shakily turning the flashlight on as soon as he finds it.  He sits there, feeling like he’s about to shiver out of his own skin and trying to regain his breath when even more light fills the room.

“Klaus,” Dave says, and Klaus turns to face him, slowly, frantic heart stopping dead in his chest for just a second before it starts pounding again.  Dave is sitting on the foot of the bed and his desk lamp is on beside him.  His eyes are trained on Klaus, a look of apprehension on his face and Klaus thinks _Oh my God, I ruined it.  I ruined it already_.  It’s been almost two months, the longest Klaus has ever been with anybody and he thought… God he thought that it was going to _work_ but he ruined it, he _ruined it_ just like he ruins _everything_ and his father was _right all along_ and…

“Klaus.  Can you look at me, sweetheart?  I’m right here, Klaus, just look at me.”

Dave is in front of him, on his knees.  His hands are resting on his thighs, but they’re clenched like it’s taking everything in him not to reach out for Klaus.  He leans forward a bit despite himself.

Klaus ducks his head, rubbing at his eyes with his wrist.  He shakes his head.  “I should go.  I’m sorry.  I should… I should go.”  He clambers to his feet, clutching his still shining phone to his chest.  Where are his shoes?

“No, no, hey!”  Dave surges forward, then, grabbing Klaus’ wrist before he can make for the door.  Klaus whirls, eyes wide, and Dave releases him immediately, holding his hands up by his shoulders.  “You can go if you want, of course.  I’ll walk you home, or we can call one of your brothers, or I’ll call you an uber or something.  But please, don’t go because you think I want you to.”

Standing there with his hands against his chest, Klaus still looks like he’s ready to run.  Dave is still on his knees before him, looking up at Klaus patiently.  He stands and holds a hand out.  After a moment, Klaus takes it, and Dave waits as he steps forward into his arms.

For a while, they just stand together, wrapped up in each other’s arms.  Then, Dave presses a kiss to Klaus’ temple and leans back.  He raises one hand to Klaus’ cheek and smudges away a stray tear.  “Wanna sit down?” he asks, nodding towards the bed.

Klaus nods.  “Yeah.”  He keeps his grip on Dave’s hand as they climb back onto the bed.  Back against the wall, he sits with his knees against his chest.  Dave takes his place at the head of the bed, their arms stretched between them.

Dave’s thumb is stroking a steady rhythm on the back of Klaus’ hand when he asks, “Are you okay?”  Klaus doesn’t answer, so Dave tries again.  “What happened?”  Still nothing.  This time, Dave’s voice is quieter, afraid.  “Was it something I did?”

That gets a response out of Klaus as he rushes to reassure Dave.  “No, no, of course not.”

He’d scooted closer with his outburst, their legs practically pressed together now.  Dave’s free hand smooths up and down Klaus’ arm to soothe him and Dave smiles, a bit sad.  “It’s okay, Klaus.  Just tell me so I don’t do it again.”

Klaus shakes his head and smiles.  “It was nothing, Davey, promise.  Just me being stupid.”  He can already see the kind affirmation on Dave’s lips, but he doesn’t want to hear it, so he crawls forward and sits himself in Dave’s lap, kissing him and gripping the back of his head.

Dave kisses him back, thank _God_ , and his hands find their way to Klaus’ hips.  Klaus _loves_ when he does that—it feels like Dave’s hands could practically encircle him when he holds him like that.  Klaus smiles into the kiss, genuinely, which makes Dave grin, too, but after a moment, Dave pulls back, giving Klaus one more quick peck to keep him from whining.

“You’re trying to distract me,” Dave accuses, a little bit of a chuckle in his voice.

Batting his eyelashes, Klaus replies, “Is it working?”

And Dave can’t help but kiss him again, but only for a second.  After that, he sits all the way back, putting space between them.  Not too much, though, as his hands stay on Klaus’ hips to keep him in his lap.

“Klaus,” he says, and the look in his eyes is so gentle it nearly hurts Klaus to look at.  “Baby, if it makes you panic like that it’s not _nothing_.” 

His thumbs have slipped up under the bottom of Klaus’ tank top and Klaus focuses on that, that tiny little bit of Dave’s skin against his own.  He just wants to go to sleep, to lay down in Dave’s arms again, but he still feels too wired and he knows Dave isn’t going to let this go.

He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.  He lifts his hands as if to make a gesture of explanation, but they fall limply into his lap again.  When he manages to bring himself to glance up at Dave’s face again, he finds that same look of heartrending patience.

As he’s waiting for something ( _anything_ ), Dave’s eyes scan the room for a hint of what could have set Klaus off like that.  There’s nothing, until Dave spots Klaus’ phone, forgotten on the blankets behind him.  The flashlight is still on, peeking out between the folds in Dave’s comforter, and Dave remembers how frantic Klaus had been to turn it on. 

He remembers how he couldn’t even really see Klaus when he’d first woken up, his beautiful face obscured by the darkness.  Then, he remembers the Christmas lights in Klaus’ room—strung in a haphazard zig-zag up the wall beside his bed, the soft glow that was present every time Dave had been in that room.

“The lights,” he says.

Klaus flinches and starts pulling away, but Dave’s hands are almost frantic to keep him close as they slide from his hips up his back, rucking Klaus’ tank top up with them.

Dave wants to smile, wants to laugh it off because he can _fix that_.  Hell, he’ll go to Walmart and buy Christmas lights right now if that’s what it takes to make Klaus happy.  But the look on Klaus’ face is so guarded and ashamed that he just can’t.

Instead, Dave sits forward, so they’re practically chest-to-chest again, and rests his forehead against the side of Klaus’ turned face.  “Klaus,” he whispers.  “Why didn’t you just say something, baby?  I would have…”

“It’s _stupid_ ,” Klaus exclaims, throwing his hands up.  He lifts one to run it through his tangled mess of curls and Dave is forced to lean back.  Both of Klaus’ hands are buried in his own hair, then, pulling at the roots.  “Christ’s sake,” he says, voice breaking on a laugh.  “I’m eighteen, Dave, I’m not a fucking _kid_.”

“I know,” Dave answers.  He runs his hands up Klaus’ thighs, his stomach, his shoulders, before coming to a stop on either side of his neck.  “Klaus I would never think that of you.”  He pauses for a moment, taking a second to think about what he’s going to say next.  “I don’t know all of you yet,” he begins.  “I hope that you’ll let me.  But whatever it is that made you have this… fear.  It’s _okay_ , Klaus.  It’s okay.  It doesn’t make you a kid, or weak, or worthless, or whatever else is going through your head right now.”  He holds his palm against the side of Klaus’ head, Klaus leaning heavily into the touch.  “It just makes you you.  And I…really, really like every part of you Klaus.  Even the ones that you don’t.”

He can’t say the word he wants to.  Not yet.  They’ve hardly been together two months and Klaus is just _barely_ clean and it wouldn’t be fair to either of them if Dave said that now.  But he thinks it, and he hopes that Klaus can read it in every line of his body, because Dave practically aches with love for this boy.

Klaus smiles, tears sparkling in his big, green eyes, and he kisses Dave again.  His bony fingers are strong on Dave’s face and Dave is entirely too aware of Klaus’ weight in his lap.  Klaus deepens the kiss, finds Dave’s mouth already waiting for him.

Before long though, Klaus has slipped away, giggling as Dave tries to chase him.  There’s still barely breathing room between them, though, when Klaus sighs, “Thank you, you beautiful, wonderful man.”

“Anything for you,” Dave replies without a thought, and they’re both smiling too much to kiss again.

Somehow, they manage to retrieve Dave’s laptop off the desk without Klaus ever moving out of his lap.  Dave queues up a ten hour fireplace video, mutes it, and cranks the brightness up as high as it will go.  He sets it back on the desk and turns the lamp off, and they only lay down once Klaus has assured him that it’s good.  “Perfect, Dave.”

This time, Klaus takes the outside of the bed.  He lays half on his back, watching with a fond smile as Dave pulls the blankets up over them, hands skirting all along Klaus’ bare arms and legs beneath the covers.  As soon as Dave settles down, Klaus scoots back so that he’s pressed right up against him—and if he wiggles his butt a little more than absolutely necessary, well, that’s nobody’s business but his and Dave’s.

Dave’s arm wraps tight around Klaus’ waist, and his nose finds a place behind Klaus’ ear.  They could fit another whole Klaus in the bed with them, what with how little space they’re taking up.  Klaus tucks one of his legs back between Dave’s, hooking their ankles together.

When they’ve both finally stilled, content with their arrangement, Dave huffs a sleepy breath against the back of Klaus’ neck, tickling him with his own curls.

“Goodnight, Klaus,” Dave mumbles.  “Get some sleep,” and Klaus hears the _tell me if something is wrong_ that Dave doesn’t give voice to.

Klaus looks around the room.  The glow from the laptop barely illuminates anything, certainly not as strongly as Klaus’ Christmas lights, but it’s enough.  Enough to see Klaus’ backpack in the corner, his knitting and his homework spilling out of it.  Enough to see the hoodie that Klaus intends to steal tomorrow on the back of the desk chair.  Enough that Klaus feels safe closing his eyes, settling into Dave’s warmth behind him, and whispering, “Goodnight, Davey,” before letting himself—finally—fall asleep in Dave Katz’s bed. 

**Author's Note:**

> Catch that classic _Anastasia_ reference for the title.
> 
> This is part of an elaborate TUA college AU that currently exists solely in my head. I'm attempting to write it, but I saw a tumblr post suggesting that perhaps the Christmas lights in Klaus' room are because he's afraid of the dark and well--this would no leave me alone.
> 
> So, I make no promises for more of this AU, because once I do, I pretty much never write more (although I try, I _swear_ ). But like, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> UPDATE: Came back and edited because I post before I proofread (like a dumbass) so now hopefully most of those idiotic typos should be fixed. Sorry, y'all.


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